1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of this invention relate to a capacitive type touch screen panel.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Along with the development of the electronics industry, display devices, such as a liquid crystal display, an electroluminescent display, and a plasma display panel having a quick response speed, low power consumption, and an excellent color reproduction rate, have been in the spotlight. The display devices are used for various electronic products such as televisions, monitors for computers, notebook computers, mobile telephones, display units for refrigerators, personal digital assistants, automated teller machines, and the like. In general, the display device interfaces with various input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a digitizer. However, when a separate input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, or digitizer is used, user's dissatisfaction increases because the user is required to know how to use the separate input device and the separate input device occupies space. Therefore, a convenient and simple input device that can reduce erroneous operation is needed. Also, there is a need for a touch screen panel in which a user can input information by directly contacting a screen with a finger or a pen.
Because the touch screen panel has a simple configuration, which minimizes erroneous operations, the user can perform an input action without using a separate input device, and can quickly and easily manipulate through contents displayed on a screen. Accordingly, the touch screen panel has been applied to various display devices.
Touch screen panels are classified into a resistive type, a capacitive type, an electromagnetic type according to a detection method of a touched portion. The resistive type touch screen panel determines a touched position by a voltage gradient according to a change of resistance in a state that a DC voltage is applied to metal electrodes formed on an upper plate or a lower plate. The capacitive type touch screen panel senses a touched position according to a difference in capacitance created in an upper or lower plate when the user physically contacts with a conductive film formed on the upper or lower plate. The electromagnetic type touch screen panel detects a touched portion by reading an LC value induced as an electromagnetic pen touches a conductive film.
Hereinafter, a related art capacitive type touch screen panel will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a related art capacitive type touch screen panel, and FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of the touch screen panel shown FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the related art capacitive type touch screen panel includes a substrate 10, a first electrode serial and a second electrode serial. The first electrode serial has a plurality of first electrode patterns 40 and a plurality of first connection patterns 20 connecting neighboring first electrode patterns 40 to each other. The second electrode serial has a plurality of second electrode patterns 50 and a plurality of second connection patterns 60 connecting neighboring first electrode patterns 50 to each other. The first electrode serial is cross over the second electrode serial so that they are not contacted with each other.
The related art touch screen panel includes a first insulation layer 30 formed on an entire surface of the substrate on which the first connection patterns 20 are formed. The first insulation layer 30 has contact holes 31a and 31b to expose portions of each of the first connection pattern 20. Also, the related art touch screen panel includes a second insulation layer 70 as a protection layer. The second insulation layer 70 is formed on an entire surface of the first insulation layer 30 on which the first electrode pattern 40, the second electrode pattern 50 and the second connection pattern 60 are formed. The neighboring first electrode patterns 40 are connected with each other by the first connection pattern 20 through the first and second contact holes 31a and 32b of the first insulation layer 30.
In the related art touch screen panel, the first electrode patterns 40, the second electrode patterns 50 and the second connection patterns 60 are formed of a transparent conductive material such as ITO, the first connection patterns 20 are formed of a metal material, and the first and second insulation layer 30 and 70 are formed of silicon oxide, silicon nitride or organic resin material.
As thus, in the related art touch screen panel, the first insulation layer 30 has the contact holes 31a and 31b, and the neighboring first electrode patterns 40 are connected with each other by the first connection pattern 20 through the contact holes 31a and 31b. 
In the related art touch screen panel, the contact holes 31a and 31b are formed in a very small size because the first and second electrode patterns 40 and 50 are formed a small size to improve a precision of touch perception. Also, the first connection pattern 20 and the first electrode pattern 40 connected to each other via the contact holes 31a and 31b are formed in different materials. Accordingly, the related art touch screen panel is very weak in static electricity, because the resistance of the first electrode pattern 40 filled in the contact holes 31a and 31b increases, and also the contact resistance of the first electrode pattern 40 and the first connection pattern 20 increases. The increase of the resistance of the first electrode pattern 40 filled in the contact holes 31a and 31b arises from decreasing the size of the contact holes 31a and 31b, and the increase of the contact resistance arises from forming the first connection pattern 20 and the first electrode pattern 40 in different materials.
In the related art touch screen panel, if a high current flows temporarily in the first electrode pattern 40 filled in the contact holes 31a and 31b by static electricity generated during a panel fabricating process, module fabricating process, or product transportation and so on, at least one of the contact holes 31a and 31b and the first connection pattern 20 may be damaged.